Acey Duecy,
Anthony David's first release with major-label backing, is the product of some payback from
India.Arie. The longtime friends go back further than the latter's debut,
Acoustic Soul, which featured a song ("Part of My Life") written by the former. Seven years later,
Arie's clout has allowed her to establish a Universal-distributed boutique label called Soulbird, and its first release is this, a disc that pulls material from
Anthony's independent releases
3 Chords & the Truth (2004) and
The Red Clay Chronicles (2006). While he cites
Bill Withers and
Donny Hathaway,
Anthony (last name
Harrington, middle name
David) is more a descendent of
Terry Callier -- at least on the surface, through the tone of a rough-hewn baritone that often shines through with a relaxed intensity recalling
Callier, as well as frequent use of acoustic guitar. His lyrics, also like those of
Callier, can be descriptively up-front and all the more powerful for it. But he's his own artist who creates a unique mixture of vintage and modern sounds, from "Cheatin' Man" and "Cold Turkey" (stark simplicity made predominantly with voice and guitar), to "Lady" (an original that sounds too good to be anything but an update of a forgotten mid-'70s classic by a group like
Enchantment or
Floaters), to the Southern hip-hop boom-and-bounce of "Kinfolk." Further range is shown between the high-flying "Something About You" (it's remarkable how much this
Level 42 song was made to resemble
Deniece Williams' "Free," whether intentional or not) and the quietly pissed-off "Krooked Kop" ("Your royal order of fraternal brothers is really just a gang"). The past several years indicate that, unless this release should happen to go platinum (not likely),
Anthony will get maybe one more shot (if that) prior to reverting back to the independent route. Regardless, this set should help add further growth to a following that will be paying attention for some time to come. ~ Andy Kellman